The Flags:Following every home win at Wrigley Field the Cubs fly a white flag with a blue W,
and following losses they use a blue flag with a white L.Immortalized Forever:The Cubs Double Play combination of Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance would
become the most famous double play combination in Major League history thanks
to this poem by a New York Times writer Franklin Pierce: "These are the
saddest of possible words ... Tinker to Evers to Chance ... A trio of bear Cubs
and fleeter than birds ... Tinker to Evers to Chance ... Ruthlessly pricking
our gonfalon bubble ... Making a Giant hit into a double ... Words that are weighty
with nothing but trouble ... Tinker to Evers to Chance."

1876: The Chicago White Stockings become one of eight charter members of the National League
led by their president William A. Hulbert, who was also the owner of the
Chicago team. A.G. Spalding is the manager when the team plays its first game in
the history of the Chicago National League Ball Club that takes place on April
25. Spalding doubles as the pitcher and records the first NL shutout, a 4-0 win
over Louisville. The first run in team history is scored by center fielder Paul
Hines on a throwing error in the second inning. The White Stockings go on to
win the inaugural National League Championship with a 52-14 record.1877: The loss of several key players from the Championship team, contributes to the White
Stockings dropping to fifth Place with a 26-33 record.
1878: The White Stockings finish in fourth place with a record of 30-30 record.

1879: The White Stockings get off to a terrible 5-12 start when their star player Cap Anson
assumes the managerial duties away from Silver Flint. Under Anson the White
Stockings would play much better winning 41 of 62 games on the way to a 4th place
finish with a 46-33 record.
1880: The White Stockings dominate the NL winning 67 of 84 games and to capture the League's
Championship by 15 games.1881: The White Stockings cruise to their second straight NL Championship with a 56-28
record winning comfortably by nine games.1882: The White Stockings become the first team to win three straight National League Championships
with a record of 55-29, holding off the Providence Grays by four games.

1883: The White Stockings, who finish with a 59-35 record, see their championship reign
ends, as the Boston Red Stockings beat them out by four games.1884: Ned Williamson becomes the first player to hit three home runs in a single game,
against the Detroit Wolverines. However, the White Stockings finish a distant fourth
with a 62-50 record. 1885: The White Stockings win their fifth National League Pennant in the ten-year history
of the National League holding off the New York Giants by two games, with an
87-25 record. The White Stocking would go on to play in an early version of the
World Series against the rival American Association's St. Louis Brown Stockings,
the two teams would split six games and tie another.1886: The White Stockings win the National League Championship again with a 90-34 record,
and would go on to play in the thirrd version of the 19th century World Series
losing four of six games to the American Association's St. Louis Brown Stockings.

1887: The White Stockings drive for a third Straight NL Championship ends in disappointment,
as the club finishes third with a 71-50 record, six and half games out of
first.1888: The White Stockings continue to be among the best teams in the National League as
they finish in second place with a solid 77-58 record.1889: The White Stockings slip a little in the standings finishing in third place with
a mediocre 67-65 record.1890: The White Stockings rebound off a mediocre season and challenge all season for first
place falling just six games short with a record of 84-53.1891: The White Stockings battle down to the final week of the season before ending up
three and half games short of first place with a record of 82-53.1892: The NL experiments with a split season as the White Stockings are non factor in either
race finishing with a disappointing combined record of 70-76.1893: The White Stockings struggles continue as they finish in ninth place with a poor
record of 56-71.1894: The team changes its nickname to Colts, as their struggles continue during an awful
57-75 season.1895: After fourth straight losing seasons the Colts end their struggles by finishing in
fourth place with a 72-58 record.1896: The Colts are a non factor in the race for first place as they put up a solid 71-57
record while finishing in fifth place.1897: During a June 29th game against Louisville the Colts exploded for 36 runs setting
a new Major League Record. However the 36-run explosion ends up being the sole
highlight of a 59-73 season that also sees Cap Anson, who is regarded as the greatest
player of the 19th Century retires at the age of 45. Anson whose playing
career began in the old National Association in 1871 also filled the role of
manager for a large chuck of his playing career.
1898: Without Anson to guide them the team is dubbed the Orphans by the Chicago Papers.
The Orphans end up doing all right fending for themselves finishing with an 85-65
record.

1899: The Orphans finish in eightth place, despite posting a winning record of 75-73.1900: The Orphans start the 20th Century on the wrong foot finishing in fifth place with
a record of 65-75.1901: The Orphans struggle again falling to sixth place with a miserable record of 53-86.
1902: The Chicago Daily News becomes first-known entity to pen "Cubs" nickname as the team's
moniker. The nickname refers to the amount of young players the team has.
On September 15 three of those young players Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank
Chance record its first double play in 6-3 win vs. Reds. The young Cubs would
go on to finish in fifth place with a 68-69 record.1903: The young Cubs begin to show some promise as they are in the race all season before
finishing eight games out of first while placing third with a record of 82-56.1904: The Cubs continue to improve as they finish in second Place with a solid record of
93-60.1905: The Cubs continue to be on the fringe of greatness as they finish in third place
with a solid record of 92-61.1906: The Cubs win a Major League record 116 games, enroot to taking the National League
Championship by a comfortable 20 games. The Cubs would advance to the World Series
where they would take on the cross-town White Sox. Alternating games between
the Westside home of the Cubs, and the Southside home of the Sox, the Cubs
are upset by a weak hitting White Sox team dubbed "The hitless wonders", by the
Chicago papers. Neither team won a home game until the White Sox closed out the
series in the sixth game with an 8-3 win.

1907: The Cubs win 110 games on the way to cruising to their second straight World Series
appearance. This time the Cubs World Series opponent was the Detroit Tigers,
who were led by a young Ty Cobb. Trailing 3-2 in Game 1 the Cubs would rally to
send the game to extra innings where darkness eventually prevailed, as the clubs
walked away with a 3-3 tie. From there it would be a cake walk for the Cubs,
as the team from Chicago went on to sweep the next four games holding the Tigers
to a combined three runs.1908: In one of baseball's classic pennant races the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates
and Chicago Cubs battle down to the finals days of the season with National League
Championship up for grabs. The Giants appear to win the pennant when Fred
Merkle gets a dramatic game winning hit against the Cubs. However, due to fans
flooding the field, Merkle is unable to circle the bases. A fiasco ensues where
the Cubs try to tag 2nd Base with every baseball they could find. Not knowing
what to do the National League decides to re-play the game with the Cubs winning
the game which would end up deciding the pennant. With a 99-65 record the Cubs
finished one game ahead of the Giants and Pirates. The Cubs would go on
to face the Detroit Tigers for the second Straight years in the World Series.
Trailing 6-5 in the opener the Cubs would rally on six straight hits to claim
a 10-6 victory. Game 2 would be a pitcher's duel until the 8th Inning before the
Cubs exploded for six runs to take a 2-0 series lead. After the Tigers won Game
3, the Cubs would win the final two games shutting out the Tigers twice to become
the first team ever to win two consecutive World Series. Little did anyone
know at the time that this would be the last World Series the Cubs would win.1909: Despite finishing with a 104-49 record, the Cubs Championship reign ends as the Pittsburgh
Pirates beat out the Cubs by six and half games. 1910: The Cubs win their fourth National League pennant in five seasons, wining 104 games
and capturing the flag by 13 games. However, the Cubs would fall quickly in
the World Series losing four straight to the Philadelphia Athletics.1911: Heinie Zimmerman tallies a Cubs record nine RBI in 20-2 win against the Boston Braves.
The Cubs would go on to finish in second Place with a 92-62 record.1912: The Cubs slip to tihrd place but surpass 90 wins again posting a record of 91-59.1913: Johnny Evers takes over as manager from Franck Chance as the Cubs finish in third
place again, despite a solid 88-65 record.1914: The Cubs continue to slide in the standings as they finish in fourth place with a
mediocre 78-76 record.1915: Zip Zabel pitches a record 18.1 relief innings in a 19-inning 4-3 win over the Brooklyn
Robins. However the Cubs would go on to finish in fifth Place with a disappointing
73-80 record. 1916: Charles Weeghman and nine investors purchase the Cubs from Charles Taft. Three months
later, on April 20th, the Cubs beat the Reds, 7-6, in the first National League
game at Weeghman Park, which would later be renamed Cubs Park in 1920 and
eventually Wrigley Field in 1926. The Cubs first season at Clark and Addison streets
would not be a good one as the team finished in fifth with a 67-86 record.
1917: The Cubs Hippo Vaughn combines with the Reds Fred Toney for baseball's only 9-inning
double no-hit game, eventually the game is won by the Cincinnati Reds 1-0 in
tenth inning. The Cubs would go on to post their third straight losing season
as they finish in fifth pace with a record of 74-80.1918: With an 84-45 record, the Cubs win the NL pennant by ten and half games. In the aftermath
of the United States' entry into World War I in 1917, a government edict
called for the end of major league baseball's 1918 regular season by Labor Day
with the playing of the World Series immediately thereafter. Accordingly, the
1918 Series was a late-summer classic that ran from September 5th through September
11th. After being shutdown by Babe Ruth and the Boston Red Sox the Cubs
bounced back to win Game 2 behind the pitching of Lefty Tyler. After the Sox claimed
Game 3, the Cubs fell behind 3-1 in the series as Babe Ruth was a one-man
wrecking crew in a 3-2 victory in Game 4, as Ruth batted sixth and delivered the
big hit, a two-run triple in the fourth inning. The Cubs would win Game 5, but
the Sox would go on to claim the series in six games.

1919: The Cubs finish in third place as they post a respectable record of 75-65.

1920: After two straight solid seasons the Cubs struggle all season on the way to finishing
in fifth place with a record of 75-79.1921: The Cubs struggle all season and finish in seventh place with a horrid record of
64-89.1922: The Cubs post a winning record of 80-74 but finish in the middle of the pack in the
National League again.1923: The Cubs improve slightly as they finish in fourth place with a record of 83-71.1924: The Cubs continue to remain on the fringe of the pennant race as they finish in fourth
place again with a record of 81-72.1925: On April 14th with Quin Ryan at the microphone WGN Radio broadcasts its first regular-season
Cubs game, as Chicago defeats the Pittsburgh Pirates by 8-2. However,
the season would not be as successful as the Cubs fell into last place with
a 68-86 record.

1926: The Cubs rebound off their last pace season by climbing back to fourth place with
a record of 82-72.1927: A second deck is added to Wrigley Field increasing capacity to 40,000, as the Cubs
draw over a million fans for the first time ever. The Cubs would go on to finish
in fourth place with a solid 85-68 record.1928: The Cubs are part of an exciting three team race for the National League Pennant.
The Cubs would end up finishing four games out of first place in third with a
91-63 record.

1929: After falling fourgames short in 1928 the Cubs would not be denied in 1929, with
a 98-54 record the Cubs win the National League pennant by more than ten games,
as nearly 1.5 million people pack Wrigley Field to marvel at the hitting exploits
of future Hall of Famers Rogers Hornsby (the year's NL MVP), Hack Wilson, Gabby
Hartnett and Kiki Cuyler. In the first World Series played at Wrigley Field
the Cubs faced the Philadelphia Athletics. After losing the first two games at
home the Cubs rebounded to take Game 3 in Philadelphia and looked well on their
way to evening the series at 2 with an 8-0 lead in Game 4. However, the A's
would rally and would stun the Cubs by scoring ten runs in the 7th Inning to take
a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Cubs would not recover losing Game 5 to close
out the series.1930: Outfielder Hack Wilson puts together one of the greatest hitting seasons in baseball
history, pounding 56 homers and driving in a single season record 191 RBI.
However, the Cubs would fall two games short of their quest for a return trip to
the World Series with a 90-64 record.1931: The Cubs continue to be one of the top teams in the national League as they finish
in third place with a solid record of 84-70.1932: In the same year the Cubs become the final Major League team to add numbers to their
uniforms, manager Charlie Grimm leads the Cubs to the National League pennant
with a 90-64 record. The Cubs face the vaunted New York Yankees in the World
Series, and would end up being swept in four straight games. However, one moment
stands as one of the biggest debates in World Series history. Did Babe Ruth
call his shot? In the 5th inning of Game 3 at Wrigley Field, the Babe seemed to
gesture to CF before smashing a majestic homer over the CF wall. While the debate
on weather he called his shot will range on forever, it just served to build
on the Babe's legend.1933: The Cubs attempt for a return trip to the Fall Classic ends in vein with an 86-68
record only good for third place in the NL.1934: The Cubs fall eight games short of the World Series as they finish in third place
with a solid record of 86-65.
1935: The Cubs use an incredible 21-game winning streak to overtake the St. Louis Cardinals
for the NL Pennant with a 100-54 record. In the World Series the Cubs would
face the Detroit Tigers. After winning Game 1 the Cubs, would see the Tigers
take the next 3 even after losing star 1B Hank Greenberg with a broken wrist. After
the Cubs won Game 5 to send the series back to Detroit. With the game tied
3-3 in the ninth inning of Game 6 Hack Wilson led off with a triple, but Tigers
pitching would freeze him there, and would go on to win the game and the series
in the bottom of the ninth.1936: The Cubs fall just five games short in their quest to get back in the World Series
as they post a record of 87-67 while finishing in second place. 1937: Bill Veeck is hired and plants the now famous ivy on the outfield wall. That same
year, the bleachers are constructed and a new scoreboard is installed, both of
which remained untouched for years. The Cubs would go on to finish three games
out of first with a 93-61 record.1938: One of the most dramatic moments in team history occurs when catcher-manager Gabby
Hartnett hits the legendary "Homer in the Gloamin" at Wrigley Field. Hartnett's
round-tripper off Pittsburgh Pirate Mace Brown in a near dark Wrigley Field
gives the Cubs their third NL pennant of the decade with an 89-63 record. However,
the Cubs would be overmatched in the World Series as they were swept by the
New York Yankees for the seocnd time in six years.
1939: The Cubs close out a successful decade by finishing in fourth place with a solid
record of 84-70.1940: The Cubs see a string of 14 straight winning seasons come to an end as they finish
in fifth pace with a record of 75-79.1941: The Cubs finish in sixth pace with a record of 70-84. Following the season the Cubs
begin plans to add light to Wrigley Field. However, after the bombing of Pearl
Harbor, P.K. Wrigley donates the lighting equipment that he had recently purchased
to the War Department, as a result Wrigley Field would not see lights added
for another 47 years.1942: The Cubs struggles continue as they post their third straight losing season finishing
in sixth place with a record of 68-86.1943: With a number of baseball's top stars fighting in World War II the Cubs continue
to struggle as they finish in fifth place with a record of 74-79.1944: The Cubs get off to a miserable start losing nine of their first ten games when Manager
Jimmie Wilson is fired. Under new Manager Charlie Grimm the Cubs would finish
the season strong posting a 75-78 record on the season.1945: The Cubs make their final World Series appearance of the 20th century by posting
a 98-56 record. In the World Series the Cubs would face the Detroit Tigers for
the 4th times. The Cubs get off to a promising start when Hank Borowy pitches the
Cubs to a 9-0 shutout win in Game 1. The Tigers would bounce back to take Game
2, as the series shifted to Wrigley. The Cubs would use another standout pitching
performance as Claude Passeau tossed a one-hitter in Game 3 to retake the
series lead. During their Game 3 win local tavern owner Billy Sianis was asked
to leave because his pet goat's odor was bothering other fans. Sianis declares
the Cubs would not win again. The Tigers would win the next two games, as the
Cubs faced a 3-2 series deficit heading back to Detroit. In Game 6 OF Stan Hack
reaches safely in six of seven plate appearances, while driving in the winning
run in 12th inning as Cubs beat Tigers 8-7 to force Game 7. However the Cubs would
fall losing 9-3 in what would be their final World Series game of the century.

1946: The Cubs follow up their trip to the World Series by finishing in third place with
a solid record of 82-71.1947: On May 18th the largest crown in Wrigley Field history comes to see Jackie Robinson's
first game in Chicago. The Cubs would lose to Robinson's Brooklyn Dodgers
4-2. The Cubs would go on to finish sixth place that season with a 69-85 record.
1948: A preseason exhibition game against the cross-town White Sox on April 16th is the
setting for the Cubs debut on WGN-TV, as Jack Brickhouse broadcasts a 4-1 White
Sox win at Wrigley Field. The Cubs would go on to finish in last place with a
64-90 record.1949: The Cubs finish in last pace for the second straight season as they post a record
of 61-93.

1950: The Cubs struggles continue as they finish in seventh place with a record of 64-89.1951: The Cubs finish in last place for the third time in four years as they post a miserable
62-92 record.1952: Hank Sauer wins the NL Most Valuable Player award after he hit a major league leading
37 home runs with 121 RBI. With Sauer's help the Cubs climb out of the cellar
and finish fifth with a 77-77 record.1953: In a season that sees the debut of Ernie Banks the Cubs fall to seventh place with
a 65-89 record.1954: The Cubs continue to wallow in the second division as they finish in seventh place
with a record of 64-90.1955: On May 12th Sam Jones closes out a no hitter in dramatic fashion by walking the first
three batters of the ninth inning to load the bases before striking out the
side. However, success does not come often for the Cubs who finish in sixth place
with a 63-81 record.1956: The Cubs end up back in the basement as they post a terrible record of 60-94. 1957: Rookie Dick Drott strikes out 15 Milwaukee Braves including famed slugger Hank Aaron
three times-in a 7-5 win. However the Cubs would go on to finish with an awful
62-92 record that would have them tied for the NL's worst record.1958: Ernie Banks wins the NL MVP hitting 47 homers, while driving in 129 runs. However,
the Cubs still struggle and finish in fifth place tie with a 72-82 record.1959: Ernie Banks becomes the first National Leaguer to win the MVP trophy in back-to-back
seasons as he hits 45 home runs and a major-league leading 143 RBI. However,
once again the Cubs finish in a fifth place tie with a 74-80 record.1960: The Cubs struggles continue into a new decade as they finish in seventh place with
a miserable record of 60-94.1961: Owner P.K. Wrigley experimented with manager position, implementing a "College of
Coaches." The system was meant to be a blending of ideas from several individuals
instead of the traditional one skipper ended without success after just two
seasons. The Cubs would finish in seventh place with a record of 64-90. 1962: The "College of Coaches" experiment is abandoned after two failed seasons as the
Cubs end up with a horrific 9th Place 59-103 season, finishing worse then the expansion
Houston Colt .45s. However, not all news is grim for the Cubs as 2B Ken
Hubbs takes home Rookie of the Year honors.1963: With Bob Kennedy hired as the sole manager of the Cubs the team shows marked improvement
finishing with an 82-80 record, a mere 23-game improvement over the previous
season.1964: Tragedy strikes the Cubs when promising young 2B Ken Hubbs is killed when the plane
is piloting crashes into a mountain in Utah before the start of the season in
which the Cubs took a step backward finish with a 76-86 record.1965: The Cubs slide into eighth place with a record of 72-90 record. 1966: Following an eightth place Leo Durocher is hired as manager, and states, "The Cubs
are not an eighth place team." Durocher is right as the Cubs fall into the NL
Cellar with an awful 59-103 record. 1967: After an awful first season Leo Durocher final gets the Cubs to play his type of
baseball, as the Cubs experience an impressive 28-game improvement on the way to
a third Place 87-74 season.1968: The Cubs continue to show some promise as they finish in third place with a respectable
record of 84-78.1969: Weather or not you are suppositious and believe in curses like a black cat you must
admit what happened to the Cubs is an awful strange coincidence. After leading
the NL East all summer the Cubs entered a key a two-game series at Shea Stadium
leading the Mets by two and half on September 9th. During that first game a
black cat came out of nowhere and circled the Ron Santo in the on deck circle
before pacing back and forth on the top step of the Cubs dugout. The Cat would
eventually take off down the tunnel leading to Cubs clubhouse. The Cubs would not
recover eventually finishing eight games out first place with a 92-70 record.
1970: Mr. Cub Ernie Banks belts his 500th career HR, as the Cubs fall five games short
of first place with an 84-78 record.1971: Ernie Banks retires following his 19th season in a Cubs uniform, through his career
Mr. Cub blasted 512 career HR, but never was fortunate to play in the postseason.
In his final season the Cubs finish in a third place tie with an 83-79 record.1972: Two No Hitters one by Burt Hooton on April 16th and one by Milt Pappas September
2nd highlight a second place 85-77 season. During the season Leo Durocher is fired
after trouble with players and management boiled over, and began affecting
the team's play.1973: In wacky season in which the entire National League East struggles to play .500 baseball
the Cubs finish just five games out of first despite a record of 77-84.1974: After the departure of Ferguson Jenkins the Cubs sink back into the cellar, while
posting a terrible 66-96 record.1975: The sole highlight of an otherwise forgettable 75-87 season comes on August 21st
when Rick and Paul Reuschel become first brothers to combine on shutout in Cubs'
7-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.1976: In the year of the Bi-Centennial nobody is more patriotic then Rick Monday, who rescues
an American flag from two protesters attempting to burn nation's symbol
in centerfield at Dodger Stadium. The Cubs would go on to repeat their 75-87 finish
of the previous year, despite the efforts of Bill Madlock who wins the batting
title by going 4-for-4 on the final day of the season.1977: The Cubs get off to a fast start, and spend most of the first half of the season
in first place. However, in the second half the Cubs falter, as they end the season
with a mediocre 81-81 record.

1978: The Cubs would again hover on the fringe of the pennant race as they finish just
11 games out of first place despite only posting a record of 79-83.1979: Bruce Sutter establishes himself as baseball's most dominant closer by taking home
the NL Cy Young award. However, Sutter does not take the Cubs far as they finish
in fifth place with an 80-82 record.1980: Following a miserable last place 64-98 season ace close Bruce Sutter is traded to
the St. Louis Cardinals for Leon Durham.1981: In the midst of a terrible season interrupted by a two month strike, in which the
Cubs finish with an NL worst 38-65 combined record, the Cubs are sold by William
Wrigley to the Tribune Company for $20.5 million.

1982: Ferguson Jenkins returns to the Cubs and becomes the seventh pitcher to eclipses
the 3,000 strikeout. However, the Cubs only manage to finish in fifth place with
a 73-89 record. 1983: The frustration for the Cubs boils over when Manager Lee Elia unleashes a profanity laced tirade aimed at the fans known as "Bleacher Bums" who fill the seats in the outfield during
the day at Wrigley Field following an April 29th loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Elia would be replaced by Charlie Fox the rest of the season as the Cubs
finish in fifth place with a record of 71-91.1984: On June 23rd Ryne Sandberg goes five-for-six and hits two late-inning game-tying
home runs off St. Louis Cardinals reliever Bruce Sutter in a thrilling Cubs 11-inning
12-11 win. Sandberg would go on to win the National League MVP. Meanwhile
Rick Suttcliffe who was acquired in a mid-June deal with the Cleveland Indians
posts a 16-1 record on the way to claiming the Cy Young. Together Suttcliffe,
ad Sandberg lead the Cubs to their first NL Eastern Division championship with
a 96-65 record. In the Cubs first postseason appearance since 1945 the Cubs face
the San Diego Padres in the NLCS. The Cubs would get off to a fast start demolishing
the Padres in Game 1 at Wrigley Field 13-0. The Cubs would follow it up
with 4-2 win in Game 2, which would send them to San Diego only needing to win
just one game to advance to the World Series. In San Diego the Cubs would hold
leads in all three games, but the bullpen could not hold it as the Padres won
three straight to advance to the World Series. Some heartbreaking moments came
in Game 4 when Steve Garvey hit a walk off home run, while Leon Durham's error
in Game 5 opened the flood gates.1985: The Cubs are not able to repeat their magic as they fall to fourth place with a 77-84
record, as injuries take their toll all season long.1986: The Cubs continue to slide in the standings as they fall to fifth place with a record
of 70-90, as Gene Michael replace Jim Frey as Manager in the middle of the
season.1987: The Cubs make a big splash by signing free agent All-Star OF Andre Dawson away from
the Montreal Expos. Dawson would go on to lead the National League in Home Runs
with 49, taking home the MVP despite the Cubs finishing in last place with
a 76-85 record.1988: On August 8th, in a contest against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cubs play the
first night game in Wrigley Field history, as number one Cubs fan; President Ronald
Regan throws the switch from the White House. However, the night's debut was
eventually rained out after three and half innings, as the first official night
game occurred the next night, when the Cubs defeated the New York Mets 6-4.
The Cubs would go on to finish the season in fourth place with a record of 77-85.

1989: Led by Manager Don Zimmer, the Cubs enjoyed All-Star seasons from Ryne Sandberg,
Andre Dawson, and Rick Sutcliffe. In addition the Cubs enjoyed strong relief from
closer Mitch Williams, who earned the name "Wild Thing" for his walk filled
relief appearances. With these key contributions the Cubs win the NL East with
a 93-69 record. However the Cubs would go on to lose in the NLCS again falling
victim to the hitting of Will Clark as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Cubs
s four games to one.1990: The Cubs come back to earth finishing in a fourth place tie with a disappointing
77-85 record, in a year in which Wrigley Field hosts the All-Star Game.1991: Manager Don Zimmer is replaced by Jim Essian as the Cubs struggle again to finish
in fourth place with a 77-83 record.1992: Near the end of spring training the Cubs make a deal with White Sox swapping George
Bell, for Sammy Sosa. In Sosa's first season with Cubs the team finishes in
fourth place with a 78-84 record.1993: Despite ending a string of four straight losing season manger Jim Lefbevre is fired
after a fourth place season in which the Cubs finish 84-78.1994: Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes hits three Homer Runs during an opening day loss to the Mets.
The Cubs would be stunned a few weeks later when star 2B Ryne Sandberg suddenly
retires in an attempt to save a failing marriage. Without Sandberg the Cubs would
be in last place in the newly formed National League Central with a 49-64
record when the season is ended on August 12th because of a player's strike.1995: The Cubs emerge form the strike under new Management as third generation General
Manager Andy MacPhail takes over as president of the Cubs. In the first year of
the MacPhail era the Cubs finish in third place with a record of 73-71.1996: Ryne Sandberg returns after a nearly two year hiatus in an attempt to set the career
record for Homer Runs among second baseman, as the Cubs finish in fourth place
with a 76-86 record.1997: The Cubs stumble out of the gate losing their first 16 games as closer Mel Rojas,
the Cubs big off-season acquisition becomes one of the biggest free agent busts
of all-time. Rojas would end up being dealt to the New York Mets in August, as
the Cubs went on to finish in last place with a 68-94 record. Following the season
Ryne Sandberg would retire for good holding the record for homer among second
baseman.1998: On May 6th Rookie Pitcher Kerry Wood ties a major-league record by fanning 20 batters
in a 2-0 win over the Houston Astros. Wood would go on to win the Rookie of
the Year, but it was overshadowed by the story of the year. That story would
involve Cubs OF Sammy Sosa, and St. Louis Cardinals 1B Mark McGwire battle all
season for the single season Home Run record held by Roger Maris. On September
13th in a ten inning 11-10 win against the Milwaukee Brewers, Sosa hits home runs
Nos. 61 and 62 to tie and then surpass Roger Maris on single-season home run
list. Sosa would eventually end up with 66 HR leaving him just four behind McGwire
for the record. Thanks to Sosa who claims the National League MVP the
Cubs end the season tied with San Francisco Giants for the Wild Card with a record
of 89-73. The Cubs would capture that wild card spot with a 5-3 win
over the Giants in one-game playoff at Wrigley Field. However, the Cubs would
go on to be swept in three straight games by the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.1999: On his way to winning the first Hank Aaron award for slugging, Sammy Sosa becomes
the first player to hit 60 Home Runs in two consecutive seasons. However, as he
did in 1998 he would finish second to Mark McGwire for the NL lead. The Cubs
would go on to fall back into last place with a 67-95 record, as the Cubs sorely
missed Kerry Wood who missed the entire season with an arm injury.2000: The Cubs face the New York Mets at the start of the season with a two game series
in Tokyo, Japan. The Cubs would win the first game of the series, as the two teams
split the series. Sammy Sosa would go on to lead the National League in Home
Runs with 50. However, the Cubs finished in last place again with a 65-97 record.2001: Sammy Sosa tags 425 total bases for his second 400-plus campaign, setting club marks
for extra-base hits (103) and slugging percentage (737), topping the records
set by Hack Wilson. In addition, Sosa recorded just the seventh 50-homer/150
RBI season in Major League history, becoming the only player since World War II
to accomplish this feat twice, having previously reached it in 1998 as well. The
Cubs would get strong pitching in the early part of the season highlighted by
back-to-back one-hitters from John Lieber who goes on to win 20 games, and Kerry
Wood on May 24th and 25th. Thanks to the pitching staff and Sosa the Cubs are
in first Place until late August. However the Cubs would end up fading in September
finishing in third place behind the playoff bound Houston Astros and St.
Louis Cardinals with a solid 88-74 record.2002: After contending for the National League Central, hopes were high for the Cubs entering
the season. However, early on it was clear the Cubs were going to be a disappointment
as they found themselves well below .500 all season, while struggling
to score runs. Making matters worse the Cubs started to take controversial
measures, including putting up dark netting over the fence in back of the bleachers,
to prevent fans from watching the game at the apartment buildings surrounding
Wrigley Field. As midseason approached Manager Don Baylor was singled out
as the scapegoat. However, under his replacement Bruce Kimm the Cubs would not
do any better finishing in 5th place with an awful 67-95 record. The only thing
Cubs had to look forward to was the debut of rookie pitcher Mark Prior, who goes
6-6 in 19 starts. Following the season the Cubs would change managers again,
hiring Dusty Baker who had just led the San Francisco Giants to the World Series.2003: The Cubs began the season on a milestone watch, as Sammy Sosa needed just one long
ball to achieve his 500th career Homer. Sosa would achieve the feat on the 4th
day of the season going deep on the road in the Cincinnati Reds new ballpark.
However Sosa struggled early and in May was placed on the disabled list. Despite
the loss of Sosa the Cubs played solid baseball behind the terrific one-two
punch of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior who were quickly establishing themselves as
the best pitching combo in the NL. When Sosa returned from the Disabled List he
was still struggling so he tried to use a corked bat to get himself out of his
slump. Instead in brought embarrassment as his bat broke in a June 3rd interleague
game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays spreading cork all over the field, and
earning the star an eight game suspension. After the suspension Sosa caught
fire and overcame his early power struggles to end the season with 40 homers, and
103 RBI. The Cubs however would spend much of the next 2 months hovering around
.500. Hoping to get back in the race the Cubs made several deals with the Pittsburgh
Pirates acquiring Armais Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, and Randall Simon, which
helped kick start the Cubs offense. Despite a mediocre 69-66 record entering
September the Cubs were in thick of a three-team race for the NL Central Division
title. The Cubs would establish themselves as a serious contender by taking
four out of five from the St. Louis Cardinals to begin the season's last month.
It would kick start a 19-8 month as the Cubs pitching and improved offense were
just enough to catapult them into first place where they won the first division
title in 14 years with an 88-74 record. Facing the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS
the Cubs got off to a good start as Kerry Wood stared on the mound and at the
plate pitching a solid seven plus innings while delivering a two-run double
as the Cubs won Game 1 in Atlanta 4-2. After the Braves took Game 2 the series
shifted to Wrigley Field where Mark Prior out dueled Greg Maddux to give the Cubs
a 3-1 win. However with a chance to close the series out in Game 4 Matt Clement
struggled as the Braves evened the series with a 6-4 win setting up a decisive
fifth game in Atlanta. Game 5 in Atlanta would see the return of Kerry Wood
who dominated the Braves again as the Cubs won their first postseason series in
95 years with a 5-1 win. Facing the Florida Marlins in the NLCS the Cubs experienced
a roller coaster of emotions in Game 1, as they jumped out to a quick 4-0
lead. However the Marlins rallied and took a lead into the 9th where Sammy Sosa
delivered a two-out two-run homer to even the game at 8-8. However, the Marlins
would recover and win in the 11th inning. The loss would not deter the Cubs
who came back the next night and won going away 12-3, as they took the next three
games for a 3-1 series lead. After losing Game 5 in Florida the Cubs returned
to Wrigley Field needing just one win to reach their first World Series since
1945. A party atmosphere was hovering over Wrigleyville as the Cubs had Mark
Prior on the mound and a 3-0 lead going into the 8th Inning. The cheers got louder
as Mike Mordecai flied out to start the inning. After a Juan Pierre double
the Cubs appeared to have the innings second out as Moises Alou drifted to the
stands, but a fan named Steve Bartman knocked the ball away, opening the flood
gates. The batter Luis Castillo would walk, which was followed by an Ivan Rodriguez
single that put the Marlins on the board. Things would only get worse as
SS Alex Gonzalez booted a double play ball as the Marlins went on to score eight
runs to force a 7th game with an 8-3 win. Not even Kerry Wood could save the
Cubs in Game 7 as the Cubs ace was shaky as the Marlins took the game by a score
of 9-6 to go on to the World Series leaving Cubs fans with heartbreak like they
had never suffered before.2004: Coming off their heartbreaking loss in the NLCS the Cubs were the popular pick to
win the NL at the start of the season as their dynamic young pitching duo of Kerry
Wood and Mark Prior was joined by future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux who was
returning to the Cubs after 11 years with Atlanta Braves. The Cubs would get off
to a solid start winning 12 of their first 18 games. However, as the season
wore on the Cubs had issues with injuries as both Wood and Prior missed significant
time due to injury making only a total of 43 starts, with neither winning
10 games. Picking up the slack for Wood and Prior was Maddux and Carlos Zambrano
who each won a team high 16 games, included was Maddux's 300th career win against
the San Francisco Giants on August 7th. While the Cubs were well out of the
picture for the Division Title they remained in the Wild Card race until the
end of the season. However with a week left in the season the Cubs bullpen failed
them as protecting a 3-0 lead against the New York Mets with two outs
in the ninth Inning Closer LaTroy Hawkins allowed a three run homer to September
call up Victor Diaz. The Mets would go on to win in 11 innings as another minor
league call up Craig Brazell won the game with a homer. The Cubs would not recover
as they lost seven of their final nine games, missing the Wild Card spot
by just three games as they finished in third place with an 89-73 record. On the
final game of the season a simmering feud between Sammy Sosa and Manager Dusty
Baker exploded as Sosa left early and was criticized heavily by Baker. Immediately
trade rumors began to emerge as Sosa who despite hitting 35 Home Runs only
managed 80 RBI while hitting .253, with a poor average in clutch situations.
Eventually Sosa would be dealt to the Baltimore Orioles for Jerry Hairston Jr.
and at least two minor-leaguers.
2005: From the start of the season Mark Prior and Kerry Wood dealt with nagging arm injuries
that would limit them to just 37 total starts, as the Cubs play mediocre
baseball all year, on the way to a disappointing 79-83 record that saw them land
in 4th place. Despite not being in the playoff picture all year there still were
several bright spots as 1B Derek Lee had a breakout year leading all three
triple crown categories for much of the first half. Lee would manage to win the
batting crown with a .335 average while his 46 homers ranked second in NL. However
with few people on base in the second half he fell out of the top ten and
ended with 107 RBI. Also having a solid offensive season was 3B Aramis Ramirez
who hit .302 with 31 homers and 93 RBI. However, Nomar Garicaparra continued to
struggle with injuries as a torn groan limited him to just 62 games, as the Cubs
decided to let him walk away as a Free Agent at the end of the season.
2006: The Cubs started the season as injuries continued and Mark Prior, as the two one
time aces would hardly pitch making just 13 appearances combines, with Prior posting
a 1-6 record with a robust 7.21 ERA. Despite the problems of Wood and Prior
the Cubs got often to a decent start, winning 12 of their first 19 games. However,
when Derek Lee suffered a fractured wrist in a collision with Rafael Furcal
of the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 20th the Cubs offense suddenly lost its
punch. While Lee would be limited to just 50 games the Cubs plunged quickly winning
just 5 of 28 games leading into Memorial Day, as the Cubs embarked on another
season to forget. As the season wore on frustrations in Chicago mounted as
the Cubs set records for no shows at Wrigley Field. One night Cubs fans rather
forget is a Sunday Night National TV game against the New York Mets in July, in
which the Cubs allowed two Grand Slams in an 11-run 6th leading to fans showering
the field with debris. It was one of several incidents of fans throwing garbage
during the season. By the time the season was over Manager Dusty Baker who
entered 2003 as a hero, had become public enemy number one as fans booed him
every time he changed pitchers. The Cubs would end the season in last place with
a terrible record of 66-96, as Baker was fired and replaced by Lou Piniella,
who immediately became the source of the new hope for Cubs fans. With the hiring
of Piniella the Cubs would also go on a wild off-season spending spree signing
Alfonso Soriano seen by many as the top Free Agent following a 40-40 season with
the Washington Nationals. In addition the Cubs signed Free Agent Pitchers Ted
Lilly and Jason Marquis with the hopes of building a rotation they could count
on beyond Carlos Zambrano.
2007: No matter how bleak the situation has been in the past the Cubs always begin the
season full of optimism. A good reason for that optimism despite coming off a last
place season was new Manager Lou Piniella and their big free agent signings.
However, early on it was more of the same as the Cubs got off to a slow start
losing six of their first nine games, as they posted a 10-14 record in April.
In May the Cubs played a light better as they climbed above .500 on May 9th. However
a week later the Cubs showed they still had a way to go as they blew a 5-1
lead in the ninth Inning against the New York Mets who were playing several reserves.
The Cubs would rebound quickly as they took two of three against the cross-town
White Sox. However, the Cubs still struggled the rest of the month and
started June with a record of 22-30. As June began the Cubs looked like they
were about to come apart at the seems as ace pitcher Carlos Zambrano and Catcher
Michael Barrett got in a dugout shoving match as the Cubs were beaten by the
Atlanta Braves 8-5. A day later it was Piniella blowing his top as he began kicking
dirt and threw his cap after a close play at third base sent him out to argue
with Umpire Mark Wegner. Piniella was suspended four games for the incident,
but it seemed to light a fire under his team as the Cubs won 8 of their next
12 games. While problems still existed as Michael Barrett, who would end up being
dealt to the San Diego Padres, was involved in another altercation this time
with pitcher Rich Hill, the Cubs seemed to be turning the corner. As June was
coming to a close the Cubs were playing solid baseball winning seven straight to
approach .500 again as they swept a three game series with the White Sox on the
South Side. After ending the first half with a record of 44-43, the Cubs began
to make their move in the Central Division as they ended the month of July just
a half game behind the first place Milwaukee Brewers as they posted a 17-9
record, including wins in 9 of their first 12 games after the All-Star Game. Despite
a rough stretch in August, after losing Alfonso Soriano for a few weeks to
an injury the Cubs entered September in the thick of the pennant race. Down the
stretch it would be the Cubs led by their pitching staff that would end up getting
the edge as they won 10 of 12 games during a key stretch in mid-September
to take over first place. The Cubs would end up completing a worst-to0first turnaround
as they won the NL Central with a record of 85-77, as they set a new
attendance record of 3,252,462. In the NLDS the Cubs were matched up against the
Arizona Diamondbacks. In Game 1 pitching was the story as Brandon Webb and Carlos
Zambrano both had solid starts as the game was tied 1-1 after six innings.
However, the Cubs bullpen would falter as the D-Backs won 3-1. After losing 8-4
in Game 2 the series shifted to Wrigley Field with the Cubs needing a win to
avoid a sweep. Things did not start well as Chris Young homered on Rich Hill's
first pitch. The Cubs would not be able to fight back as the Diamondbacks completed
the three game sweep with a 5-1 win.
2008: Coming off a division championship there was renewed hope that the Cubs could finally
break through and win a World Series, as they entered the 100th anniversary
of their last title. Opening Day at Wrigley Field would see a pitcher's duel,
as Carlos Zamrbano blanked the Milwaukee Brewers over six and two thirds innings.
However, the Cubs were unable to break through against Ben Sheets, the Brewers
starter. The Brewers finally dented the scoreboard in the ninth inning with
three runs. However, the Cubs would answer back as Japanese import Kosuke Fukudome
became an instant fan favorite with a game tying three run homer. While the
Brewers still won the game 4-3, the Cubs were right on track to get off to a
terrific start as they posted a 17-10 record over the first month of the season,
and found themselves in a first place tie. The Cubs would continued their strong
play in May, as Rookie Catcher Geovany Soto became a vital part of the line
up, as he would make the All-Star team, and would go on to win Rookie of the Year
honors with 23 home runs, and 86 RBI, as the Cubs held the best record in baseball
over Memorial Day Weekend. The Cubs would continue to hold that honor until
the All-Star Break, as they held a four and half game lead with a record of
57-38. Coming out of the All-Star Game the Cubs hit a road bump as they were
caught by the Milwaukee Brewers, who spurred by the acquisition of C.C. Sabathia
became the Cubs only obstacle to a return to the playoffs. On July 28th the Cubs
entered a key four game series with those Brewers in Miller Park, leading the
Central Division by one game. Facing Sabathia in the opener, the Cubs would
rally against the Brewers bullpen for a 6-4 win, as they would go on to sweep the
series, outscoring the Brewers over the final three games 25-7. The Cubs would
not be challenged again as they cruised the rest of the way to a second straight
division title. September would prove a month to remember in the early going
for the Cubs, as they returned to Miller Park on September 14th for a game against
the Houston Astros after Hurricane Ike forced the game to be moved out of
Houston. There thousands of Cubs fans trekked north to see Carlos Zambrano make
history, as he became the first Cubs pitcher in 36 years to throw a no hitter,
as he blanked the obviously distracted Astros 5-0. Zambrano would be on the
mound six days later as the Cubs clinched the division against the St. Louis Cardinals.
However, a tired arm limited him down the stretch, as the Cubs posted
a solid 97-64 record. In the NLDS the Cubs faced the Los Angeles Dodgers who ended
the season, as one of the hottest teams in baseball. In Game 1, the Cubs got
off to a fast start as Mark DeRosa hit a two run homer to give the Cubs an early
lead. However, Ryan Dempster would lose home plate, before serving up a fifth
inning grand slam to James Loney as the Dodgers took the opener 7-2. Game 2
would not go any better, as Carlos Zambrano struggled; while the Cubs defense unraveled
with four errors, as the Dodgers took a 2-0 series lead with a 10-3 win.
The Dodgers would go on to sweep the series with a 3-1 win in Game 3.
2009: Coming off two straight division titles that ended in bitter disappointment with
sweeps in the NLDS the Cubs found themselves handcuffed during the free agency
season as the Tribune Company looked to sell the team. At the same time they were
finalizing a deal with the Ricketts' family the Cubs became the first team in
MLB history to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. Not only were the Cubs unable
big to sign a bat to improve their offense, but they lost Kerry Wood and Mark DeRosa,
who both signed deals with the Cleveland Indians. Early on things looked
good for the Cubs, as they won eight of their first 12 games. However, they would
drop seven of their next nine games establishing a pattern of inconsistency
that would affect the Cubs all season. As every time it appeared they would make
a run and get back in front of the Central Division, they would have a bad week
and drop back to .500. July would see the Cubs make big gains, as they posted
an 18-9 record, and took over the divisional lead on July 26th. However, after
starting August in first place the Cubs again hit a bad stretch as season of
injuries that saw nearly every key player miss time began to take its toll. The
Cubs were also distracted by the continued erratic behavior or Milton Bradley,
who was the Cubs biggest off-season acquisition and struggled all season while
clashing with fans and Manager Lou Piniella. In August they would post a record
of 11-17, and went from first place to ten and half games out of first place.
The Cubs would recover and post a record of 17-12 in September, but it would
be too late, as they finished in second place with a record of 83-78. While it
did end in disappointment, it marked the first time since 1972, that the Cubs posted
three straight winning seasons.2010: With the Cubs ownership settled, they looked to rebound and reclaim the Central Division
in the National League. However, signs that the Cubs would struggle were
evident right from opening day as they were slammed by the Atlanta Braves 16-5.
After posting a 2-4 record on the road, the Cubs played well in their home opener
beating the Milwaukee Brewers 9-5, as they posted a mediocre 11-13 record
in April. As May began the Cubs continued to struggle, looking for a spark they
called up prospect Starlin Castro from AA Tennessee on May 7th. Castro, the first
player born in the 1990's had a debut for the ages, with six RBI as the Cubs
doubled up the Cincinnati Reds 14-7 on the road. However, despite the play of
their rookie Shortstop, the Cubs continued to play lackluster baseball into June.
On June 25th, the Cubs frustrations would boil over as temperamental pitcher
Carlos Zambrano was suspended after a tirade in the dugout that led to a scuffle
with 1B Derek Lee as the Cubs dropped to 32-41 with a loss to the Chicago
White Sox on the South Side. The Cubs would enter the All-Star Break with a disappointing
39-50. Shortly after the break, Manager Lou Piniella announced plans
to retire following the season. However, as the Cubs continued to play lackluster
baseball it became apparent a change was needed sooner, and on August 22nd
Piniella would step down to take care of family matters. In his final game the
Cubs would be blasted by the Braves at Wrigley Field 16-5. For the remainder of
the season, the Cubs would be led by Mike Quade. Under Quade the Cubs who had
a 51-74 record with Piniella showed immediate improvement sweeping the Washington
Nationals on the road, in the Interim Manager's first three games. With the
September call ups playing solid baseball the Cubs would finish the season strong,
posting a 24-13 record in their final 37 games under Quade. There would be
no saving the season, as the Cubs finished in fifth place with a disappointing
75-87 record. The strong play down the stretch would be enough to allow Mike Quade
to hand as Manager of the Cubs as he was given a two year deal following the
season. The off-season would also bring sadness to Wrigleyville, as long time
Cubs icon Ron Santo died at the age of 70 on December 3rd due to complications
from bladder cancer and diabetes.
2011: As the season began for the Cubs, it was clear that these were gloomy days in Wrigleyville.
Despite fans objections, General Manager Jim Hendry was still in charge
and the Cubs Manager Mike Quade, who had the interim removed from his title,
did not instill much excitement in the fan base. The Cubs, tried to improve their
rotation by acquiring Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays, while signing Free
Agent 1B Carlos Pena. To help the bullpen the Cubs welcomed back Kerry Wood,
who left following the 2008 season. On thing adding to the depression on the North
Side of Chicago was the loss of Ron Santo who died during the off-season after
a life long struggle with diabetes. Since retiring Santo had been a faithful
cheerleader for the Cubs on WGN. The Cubs would struggle right from the start
of the season, as they posted a 12-14 record in April, and barely even saw the
.500 mark. Things would only get worse, in May, June and July as the Cubs were
quickly out of the race. In August the Cubs, would post their only winning month,
with a record of 16-13 as GM Jim Hendry was fired on August 21st. A week earlier
Hendry and Quade had to deal with one last outburst from Carlos Zambrano
who threatened to retire after allowing five home runs to the Atlanta Braves.
The Cubs would suspend Zambrano the rest of the season. In the off-season he would
finally be traded away as the Cubs received Chris Volstad from the Miami Marlins
in return. The Cubs would go on to finish in fifth place with a terrible
record of 71-91. Following the season the Cubs would reach a deal with the Boston
Red Sox and name Theo Epstien as the club's new president of baseball operations.
While in Boston, Epstein ended the Red Sox 86 year World Series drought using
some of the same Moneyball tactics as Billy Beane in Oakland. The Cubs obviously
hope he can do the same with their drought which is now 104 years and counting.
In addition to Epstein, the Cubs added Jed Hoyer as General Manager, while
Dale Sveum replaced Mike Quade as manager.
2012: As the Theo Epstein era began the Cubs gave their fans a reminder that Rome was not
built in a day and that championship don't happen overnight. Epstein who was
credited with ending the Boston Red Sox, winning two World Series in 2004 and
2007 took over as the Cubs President, hiring Jed Hoyer as the team's new General
Manager and Dale Sveum as the Cubs new manager. Early on it was clear that Cubs
had a long way to go before contending as they lost 11 of their first 14 games
on the way to posting a record of 8-15 during April. Things did not get any
better in May as they posted a record of 10-17, as Kerry Wood decided to call it
a career on May 18th striking out Dayan Viciedo of the Chicago White Sox in his
final appearance. The fans at Wrigley Field gave Wood a long standing ovation
as his son, Justin, ran out to greet him as he exited the field for the final
time. The Cubs again went 10-17 during June. In the two weeks leading up to the
All-Star Break the Cubs played their best baseball of the season, winning 12
of 16 games as they posted a winning record of 15-10 in July. However, August and
September just brought more losses as they lost 42 of their last 60 games to
finish the season with a record of 61-101 marking the first 100 loss season for
the Cubs since 1966 as they finished in fifth place. Even individually there
were few bright spots as Alfonso Soriano led the team with 32 home runs and 108
RBI, as rookie Anthony Rizzo, who was named Rookie of the Month during July gave
Cubs fans a player to watch for the future with 15 home runs and 85 RBI in just
87 games. The 23 year old Rizzo was also feel good story as he survived a bout
of Hodgkin's lymphoma a form of cancer in 2008.

2013: Coming of their first 100 loss season in 46 years, the Cubs looked to improve, while
remaining patient with their plan to rebuild through the farm system. The Cubs
started the season with a 3-1 over the Pittsburgh Pirates, as Jeff Samardzija
earned the win. The Cubs would drop four of their first six games on the road,
before coming home to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the home opener. Veteran
Edwin Jackson who the Cubs signed to give them a reliable arm in the rotation
struggled as the Cubs lost 7-3. It would be a regular occurrence for Jackson who
posted a record of 8-18 with an ERA of 4.98. For much of the first two months
the Cubs looked to be on track for another 100-loss season as they held a 18-30
record. However, they began to show some signs of improvement with five straight
wins, as they won the first three games against the Chicago White Sox, and
later completed the sweep, winning the rain date make up on July 8th. July would
be the only month in which the Cubs posted a winning record of as they again
were among the worst teams in baseball, posting a record of 66-96. Jeff Samardzija
was the Cubs best pitcher, with a record of 8-13, with an ERA of 4.34 as he
was one of the top strikeout pitchers in the National League with 214. However,
the Cubs had a distinct lack of power Anthony Rizzo (23) and Nate Schierholtz
(21) were the only Cubs to hit 20 homers, though Alfonso Soriano had 17 homers
before being traded to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline. Rizzo (80)
and Schierhlz (68) also led the Cubs in RBI as the team's.238 average was among
the worst in all of baseball. Among the disappointments was Starlin Castro who
hit just.245, with ten home runs and 44 RBI. Following the season the Cubs would
dismiss Manager Dale Sveum after just two seasons. 2014: After two terrible seasons under Dale Sveum, the Chicago Cubs continued to build
for the future under new Manager Rick Renteria. Early on it looked like it was
going to be another dreadful season for the Cubs, who posted a record of 9-19 in
April as Wrigley Field celebrated its 100th birthday. However, it would be a
season in transition, as the Cubs picked up more prospects by dealing players with
expiring contracts, like pitcher Jeff Samardzija who was traded to the Oakland
Athletics with Jason Hammel for minor leaguers Addison Russell, Billy McKinney
and major league pitcher Dan Straily. Russell was considered a top five prospect.
At home the Cubs were solid all season, posting a winning record at Wrigley
Field for the first time since 2009 at 41-40. However, they continued to take
their lumps on the road. Anthony Rizzo continued to develop into a fine cleanup
hitter, leading the Cubs with 32 home runs and 78 RBI making his first All-Star
Game. Meanwhile, Starlin Castro had another fine season and finished the year
with an average of .292 with 14 home runs and 65 RBI. The Cubs most reliable
pitcher was Jake Arrieta, who posted a record of 10-5, with a 2.53 ERA. As the
season came to an end some of the Cubs future began to appear at Wrigley Field,
as Jorge Soler made his debut on August 27th and hit .292 with five home runs
and 20 RBI in 24 games. The Cubs would still finish the season in last place,
but at 73-89 appeared to be turning the corner. Despite the positives during the
season, the Cubs would change managers again. Rick Renteria did a fine job,
but with Tampa Bay Rays Manager Joe Maddon opting out of his contract the Cubs,
would make the move and sign Maddon, who is recognized as one of the best managers
in baseball.
2015: Things began to turn in favor of the Chicago Cubs who hired former Manager of the
Year Joe Maddon in the off-season. However, when the season began fans were none
too pleased as a renovation of the famous Wrigley Field bleachers was not finished
for the start of the season, leaving a construction zone with no seats in
April. Fans were also upset that Rookie 3B Kris Bryant was not with the team
at the start of the season following a monster Spring Training. As the bleachers
were under construction a sign with Bryant nearby advertised was coming to fans
on the North Side, but after more than a century of waiting fans had grown restless.
Fans would not have to wait long for Kris Bryant's debut as he was recalled
from Iowa on April 17th. The power numbers were slow at first for Bryant
as he did not go deep in his first 20 games, but before May began he found his
stroke hitting seven long balls on the way to being named Rookie of the Month.
Kris Bryant only got better as the season went on, finishing with a .275 average,
with 26 home runs and 99 RBI to earn the National League Rookie of the Year.
As the new bleachers took shape with Wrigley Field getting a video replay board
and an electric scoreboard to go with the classic manually operated board, so
did the Cubs. The Cubs played solid ball for the first half posting winning records
in April, May and June to go into the All-Star Break with a record of 47-40.
While the Cubs young offense led by Bryant got the attention in the first half
with players like 1B Anthony Rizzo leading the team with 31 homers and 101
RBI, it was Jake Arrieta that began making people take notice after the All-Star
Break. Arrieta who had a decent first half posting a record of 10-5, his second
half was something from a dream. To put it simple Jake Arrieta had the best
second half in the history of baseball as he won 12 of 13 decisions, and posted
an ERA of 0.75. On August 30th, Jake Arrieta pitched the 14th No Hitter in Cubs
history, blanking the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 while striking out 12 including
the last three in a Sunday Night game at Dodger Stadium. Arrieta won Pitcher of
the Month honors in August with a 6-0 record and a 0.43 ERA. He was just as good
in September, winning Pitcher of the Month again, going 4-0 with a 0.45 ERA.
Jake Arrieta would finish the season with a record of 22-6, with a 1.77 ERA and
236 strike out to earn the NL Cy Young Award. As Arrieta was shutting down opposing
teams in the second half, the Cubs got a boost from two more rookie stars
came up to Wrigley and made an impact; Ii 101 games Jorge Soler had ten homers
and 47 RBI, while Kyle Schwaber hit 16 homers, 43 RBI and 52 runs scored in
69 games. With the power bats and pitching of Jake Arrieta the Cubs were the best
team in baseball following the All-Star Break. However, they could not escape
third place as the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates posted the two
best records in all of baseball. The Cubs as it would happen posted the third best
record overall and grabbed the second Wild Card in the National League with
a record of 97-65 as Joe Maddon won the Manager of the Year in the National League.
2015 Wild Card and NLDS: In the Wild Card Game the Cubs would travel to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates at
PNC Park. On the mound was Jake Arrieta looking to continue his second half dominance.
Jake Arrieta would not disappoint, pitching a complete game five hitter
as the Cubs won 5-0 with Dexter Fowler and Kyle Schwaber each hitting home runs
to supply the offense. Schwaber's homer was particularly impressive as he splashed
down in the Alleghany River beyond the Right Field stands. After beating
the Pirates, the Cubs were not done with the National League Central as they faced
the arch rival St. Louis Cardinals in the Division Series. Game 1 at Busch
Stadium would not go well for the Cubs, as they were handcuffed by John Lackey,
who did not allow a hit until Addison Russell reached base in the seventh inning.
The Cardinals would go on to win the game 4-0 as a solid effort by Jon Lester
was wasted. The Cubs would bounce back in Game 2, as they scored five runs in
the second inning highlighted by Jorge Soler's two run bomb to even the series
with a 6-3 win. As the series shifted to Wrigley Field, the Cubs had to feel
good about themselves with Jake Arrieta taking the mound in Game 3. Arrieta did
not have his best stuff, allowing four runs in five and a third innings, but it
would not matter as the Cubs bats bailed him out with six home runs as Kyle Schwarber,
Starlin Castro, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Jorge Soler, and Dexter
Fowler all went deep to give Chicago an 8-6 win. Looking to dispatch the Cardinals,
the Cubs fell behind early as Stephen Piscotty homered in the first inning
to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead. However, the Cubs again struck back with the
long ball as Javier Baez three run home highlighted a four run uprising in the
second inning. After the Cardinals tied the game in the sixth inning Anthony
Rizzo answered with a homer in the bottom of the inning, as Kyle Schwarber's seventh
inning blast which landed on the new digital scoreboard all but clinched
victory as the Cubs won the series in four games, taking the finale by a score
of 6-4.
2015 NLCS: In 1989 in the movie Back to the Future Part II, Marty McFly traveled 30 years in
the future from the 1985 and was shocked when a digital news flash told him the
Chicago Cubs had won the World Series with a sweep. As the actual date of Marty
McFly's visit to the future neared Cubs fans began to wonder could this be the
year? In the National League Championship Series, the Cubs looking to end a
70-year World Series drought faced the New York Mets, who they manhandled in regular
season by winning all seven games. Game 1 at New York's Citi Field would
show right away that the postseason would be different as Daniel Murphy gave the
Mets an early lead with a home run in the first inning. The Mets would add a
home run by Travis d'Arnaud as Matt Harvey handcuffed the Cubs to lead the Mets
to a 4-2 win in the opener. Game 2 would see more Murphy's Law, as a two run first
inning home run off Jake Arrieta helped pave the way for Noah Syndergaard
as the Mets pitching continued to frustrate the Cubs, winning 4-1. Daniel Murphy
continued to torment the Cubs, hitting another tie breaking home, as Jacob deGrom
became the latest Mets pitcher to frustrate the Cubs, allowing just two runs,
as home runs by Kyle Schwaber and Jorge Soler were not enough as the Mets took
a 3-0 series leading, winning 5-2 at Wrigley Field. Game 4 was more of the
same as the Mets jumped in front with four runs in the first inning and two runs
in the second to complete the sweep with an 8-3 win. Adding insult to injury
Daniel Murphy homered again in the eighth inning on the way to winning the NLCS
MVP, and continue the Cubs seven-decade World Series drought. For the record the
name of the goat that was behind the famous curse, Murphy.